TALOS was a living anthropomorphic machine built by Hephaestus for King Minos of Crete. TALOS had a human form and was made of copper. Inside his body, Hephaestus placed the life-giving fluid ichor. A single vein started from his neck and ended at his heel, where a nail (or membrane) held the ichor inside his body. TALOS was charged with guarding the island against raids, and according to legend, he crossed Crete three times a day. When foreign ships approached the Cretan coast, Talos forced them to move away by throwing huge rocks at them. If an enemy managed to disembark, TALOS would hug him and squeeze him until he burned on his burning chest. TALOS took over its custody after transferring Europe to Crete by Zeus. In addition to his other duties, TALOS dispensed justice in the Cretan countryside. He carried copper plates with the laws, and based on them; he judged the offenses of the Cretans.
- Talos appears on several coins of Phaistos.
- “Talaia Ori” is the name of a mountain range in north-central Crete
- The asteroid 5786 Talos (5786 Talos), discovered in 1991, was named after this mythical creature.
- In the 1963 English film Jason and the Argonauts, Talos is fighting the Argonauts in a not-so-faithful representation.
- The myth of Talos was the material for the award-winning science fiction novel by Stylianos Moussidis “Talos, the terror that came from yesterday,” in 1986.
- Finally, the similarity of Talos with a robot and his impressive capabilities give food to discussions about the possession of advanced technology by the ancient Greeks.
“Athenian depiction of the 4th Century B.C titled “Argonauts and TALOS”, which demonstrates the Dioskouroi, Castor and Polidefkis supporting dying Talos.”
Postage Stamps
The 1 drachma stamp, which was published by the Postal Service of the Cretan state, on the 1st of March 1900, displays a winged TALOS armed with a stone, as it was illustrated on the 2 drachma coin from Festos in 280 BC.
“Europe” Sculpture depicting the myth of Europe who was captured by Zeus, who was disguised as a white bull.
Talos was assigned with the protection of Europe by Zeus himself in the island of Crete.
Original artwork made by the famous artist, Doros Eracleous in 2008 displayed in our office’s lobby.
“Talos 1950” by Michael Ayrton. The public piece is made of Bronze. And it’s situated in Guildhall Street, at Cambridge University.
By depicting him without arms, Michael Ayrton portrays the anger and bewilderment felt by many of the post-war generation British Sculptors.
This Sculpture was erected on the completion of the Lion Yard and Fisher House in 1973.
The story of Talos on 2night show with Gregoris Arnaoutoglou and Constantinos Lykopoulos.